TOP Rotarians from around Papua New Guinea have just completed a special course aimed at helping them to lead their service clubs over the next few years.
The course was led by prominent Queensland Rotarian Carolyn Krueger who is the District Governor-elect for Rotary District 9600 which covers four countries in the South Pacific area – part of south-east Queensland in Australia , Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Nauru.
Ms Krueger will step into her new role on 1st July 2011 along with new office bearers for rotary clubs all around the world.
Rotary office bearers hold office for 12 months and do the changeovers on 1st July every year.
Ms Krueger and a team of experienced Rotarians from Australia flew to Lae to conduct the course for 15 current and incoming rotary leaders from clubs throughout PNG.
She told the Post-Courier the purpose of the forum was to prepare people stepping into new roles in Rotary clubs around PNG.
“Rotary encourages people to go beyond their comfort zones and the important thing is to prepare them correctly for their new roles.
“Training, knowledge, giving them confidence in the new roles they are going to take in,” said Ms Krueger.
Ms Krueger will undertake her first official visit to Papua New Guinea in July where she will attend the most important annual fund raising event for the Rotary Club of Lae – the Black Tie Ball – on 23 July 2011.
She will also meet with leaders and members of the two Lae clubs- the rotary Club of Lae and the Huon Gulf Rotary Club.
Following the Lae event she will visit Rotarians in other clubs around PNG.
“We have 1.2 million Rotarians, over 543 districts and it all changes on the 1st of July.
“So the forum here has been to train, to teach and then to discuss other information these incoming presidents of rotary clubs in Papua New Guinea need to know.
Ms Krueger also expressed her delight at the extent of the work being done by Rotary Clubs in PNG.
“ Before I came up here I thought the role of our clubs here was to open up donations in kind containers (DIKs) and it wasn’t until today ( Saturday) when each of the presidents got up and spoke about the work, the projects, the fund raising that each of the clubs have done up here that 12 months ago it was so much more beyond my expectations.
“I am very proud of the achievements and the interactions that the PNG clubs have with the mainland clubs in Queensland,” Ms Krueger said.
Ms Krueger was asked about her main message to clubs in Rotary District 9600 which she will now lead over the course of the next year starting 1st July 2011.
She replied: “ I think the whole under writing thing with Rotary is that so many of us in business reach a stage in business that we feel that we want to put something back. Rotary gives a very ethical basis of being able to do that because to become part of the Rotary family there are certain undertakings that business people do need to vow and promise and that is high ethical standards in both their personal lives and their business lives. So to me my goals are then for those people who are at the stage of giving back that they get a great deal of satisfaction from doing that – they form new friendships, new fellowships and at the same time have an awful lot of fun doing it.”
Photos from the PNG Forum weekend can be viewed by going here.
